Matters Microbial #136: When Bacteria Open the Wrong Door

Today Dr. Michael D.L. Johnson, Associate Professor of Immunobiology at the University of Arizona, joins the quality quorum today to discuss copper, microbiology, and a possible new strategy to fight bacteria that cause disease.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Michael D. L. Johnson

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• A link to Hartiful, the Etsy artist who custom creates glow in the dark (and many other kinds) pins.
• A link to the essential science artist Beatrice the Biologist.
• A link to World Microbiome Day.
• A link to Micropia, the microbiology museum in Amsterdam.
• A recent article on the growing threat of antibiotic resistance among disease causing bacteria.
• A video demonstrating the Kirby Bauer procedure, which shows antimicrobial effects and zones of inhibition.
• A link to an earlier #MattersMicrobial episode with Dr. Michael Schmidt describing copper and microbes.
• A review article describing the impact that copper can have on microbes.
• A review article on Streptococcus pneumoniae, the organism with which Dr. Johnson works.
• An video celebrating the role that S. pneumoniae had in determining that DNA was the genetic material prior to World War 2.
• An overview of siderophores that help microbes obtain needed iron.
• An article about redox activity and copper and microbes.
• The relationship between metal toxicity and antimicrobial activity.
• The role that copper plays in agriculture.
• The differences between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.
• An article on efflux pumps and metal toxicity in microbes.
• An article describing how iron binding proteins also bind copper.
• An article describing how zinc interacts with microbes.
• A wonderful description of Dr. Johnson's "Trojan Horse" approach to battle disease causing microbes.
• A relevant review article by Dr. Johnson and his colleagues discussing copper and microbes.
• An overview of the "Hypothesis Fund," which supports unusual ideas in science.
• A video of Dr. Johnson describing his research.
• Dr. Johnson's faculty website.
• Dr. Johnson's research laboratory website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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